Wordstock is Portland’s annual book and literary festival, one of the city’s most high-profile cultural events and the biggest celebration of books and literature in the Pacific Northwest. Wordstock is also a volunteer-run event, and we are looking for approximately 15 thoughtful, energetic, and driven volunteers to complete our Leadership Team. These individuals will work closely with the Executive Director and the rest of the Leadership Team in planning the 2008 festival, which will be held November 7-8-9, 2008, at the Oregon Convention Center.

Below is a listing of the leadership positions we are seeking to fill, including a brief description of each position, and instructions on how to apply.

Volunteer Coordinator (2 people)

This position will be among the most important jobs at the festival: To recruit, schedule, and manage the volunteer corps that makes Wordstock happen.

Responsible for: soliciting and evaluating volunteer talent, maintaining a database of volunteers, keeping up volunteer relations, filling volunteer office and festival positions as they arise, and organizing volunteer requests and offers.

Exhibit Coordinator (2 people)

This position oversees the campaign to promote Wordstock to potential exhibitors, and assist with the logistics and planning of the booth exhibitors at Wordstock’s book fair, which is one of the largest components of the festival.

Responsible for: identifying potential exhibitors, soliciting exhibitors, processing exhibitor applications, answering questions, coordinating festival details, recording exhibitor data, and exhibitor communications. Will help director and our book fair vendor, Pacific Exposition, design the festival layout and assign exhibitors to appropriate spaces.

Author Coordinator (3 people)

This position will be the day-to-day face of Wordstock with the publishing community. You will actively work with publicists and authors to help arrange for the talent that will highlight the festival.

Responsible for: arranging/assisting in author scheduling and booking, coordinating author travel and itineraries, booking hotel rooms, arranging ground transportation, maintaining communication with authors via email, phone, and newsletters, and maintaining all author data. Also assist with creating gift packages for participating authors.

Wordstock for Writers Coordinator (2 people)

This position will help Wordstock staff coordinate the management of the festival’s two-day workshop for writers of fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and journalism.

Responsible for: Managing the registration and payment processes for writing workshops; helping Wordstock director to market event to local writers and to maintain communication with attending writers prior to event; working with Author Coordinator to help schedule visiting and local teachers/authors, including tracking appropriate payments.

Wordstock for Teachers Coordinator (2 people)

This position will help COW staff coordinate the management of the festival’s two-day workshop for K-12 teachers from across Oregon and Washington.

Responsible for: Managing the registration and payment processes for teachers workshops; helping COW program director to maintain communication with attending teachers prior to event; offer limited assistance to teachers in making arrangements to stay in Portland on the weekend of the event. working with the Markeiting Coordinator to assist in identifying northwest teacher groups and organizations to increase awareness of the workshops.

Marketing Coordinator & Webmaster (5 people)

This position will assist Wordstock staff in developing and implementing a grassroots marketing program for the festival, including workshops, premium ticketed events, and other corollary events.

Responsible for: Assisting Director and agency of record with creation of marketing program; tactical implementation of marketing tasks, including web promotion and updates, email and direct marketing, collateral printing and distribution, guerilla marketing, and other promotional tasks.

Emcee Coordinator (1 person)

This position will work closely with the Executive Director, Schedule Coordinator, and Author Coordinators to make sure Wordstock authors are appropriately introduced at their reading times.

Responsible for: Making sure relevant, up-to-date information is collected from author bios to create brief introductions; helping solicit members of the community as “emcees,” or the people who will introduce the writers performing at Wordstock; arranging and communicating schedules for emcees; and so on.

Merchandise Coordinator (2 people)

This position will work closely with the Executive Director and Marketing Coordinators to make sure Wordstock merchandise is ordered, displayed, and sold at the festival.

Responsible for: Researching possible items Wordstock could brand and sell at the festival; helping to investigate vendors to order from; creating and maintaining accurate inventory management; designing merchandise display booth; and so on. Also work with Volunteer Coordinator to arrange for and train volunteer staff to work sales during the book fair, as well as maintain and manage proper inventory and cash controls at event.

Children’s Area Coordinator (2 people)

This position will work closely with the executive director, the stage coordinator, and the team at Target (sponsor of the Children’s Area) to organize the children’s programming during Wordstock.

Responsible for: Researching potential activities (games, visitors, creative outlets, etc.) for the children’s area; arranging for activities and coordinating them with the schedule for the author readings at the kid’s stage; working with Community of Writers staff and Wordstock’s Volunteer Coordinator to staff the area with appropriate volunteers; and so on.


How to Apply

Working with the Wordstock Leadership Team is an opportunity for community service, cultural promotion, making contacts in the literary community, and having great fun.

Wordstock is accepting applications for these positions through Friday, March 28. Please email your resume, along with a brief description of which position you’re interested in and the number of hours of week you would be available to volunteer, to Greg Netzer, the festival director, at greg AT wordstockfestival DOT com.